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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · can · bass · pound · chair · net · perch · pitch

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. net — for catching
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. net — in sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lean — thin
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. net — after costs
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. perch — the fish
  22. can — a tin
  23. bass — low music
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com